In my Intro to Non-Christian Religions class, we were talking about the start of monotheism, and how the current "Big 3" (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) all believe that Abraham was the first monotheist (believer in only one god). Naturally, my thoughts went to Ahkenaten, and his valiant attempt to bring monotheism to Egypt. Ahkenaten and Abraham both started the monotheism thing independently of one another, but around the same time chronologically. It's just interesting to me that they'd both start on this at the same time. It's reminisent of Carl Jung's theories about collective unconscious, the idea that all of humanity is telepathically linked, but the link is subconscious, so we don't know about it.

I just thought I'd put this out here, and see if anyone has any thoughts on the subject. Or perhaps we're all having the same thoughts, we just think that they are our own personal thoughts? *spooky music*

The aim of Akhenaton was not to establish monotheism just because "he neede to adore one only god". Political reasons where behind this chioce, not religious! Indeed he did not cancell all the other gods...His first goal was to restore the biggest part of the political power of the Pharaoh is his own hands, this because by that time the power of the priests of Amon was ENORMOUS and invading all fields. The first important step of this movement led Akhenaton to have back his decisional power, and did it almost denying Amon as the most important gods (of the period) and consequently reducing the power of the priests of Amon.
As you can see, it's not religion behind this...it's always a matter of politics..

Well, we are talking about ancient egypt here, where the two are inseperable. If the leader of your state is a God then religion and politics are intetrtwinned. Besides, the Egyptians beleived that religion and the Gods prevailed in every part of life, which presumably would include politics!_________________Thou dost appear beautiful on the horizon of heaven, oh living Amun, he who was the first to live.

The ancient Egyptians were the first people on earth to create a nation state, which embodied the spiritual beliefs and aspiratins of the Egyptian people. Such a state was in all its manifestations a theocracy, with the Pharaoh at its head acting as the shepard of his people and believed to be a living God: the earthly link to a pantheon of deities. This theocracy served as the foundation of a culture that lasted for more than 3,000 years, thus state, religion, and culture formed an undisputable untiy. One author, Paul Johnson, writes in regard to this unity: "They rose together, they fell together, they must be studied together"._________________

Part of me thinks that the inseperable qualities were the thigns that made Egypt last as long as it did. If we look at the times when Egyptian civilisation became unsettled it was at a time that one group, or all three were trying to work independently. At Amarna Religion and Politics tried to move away from the established culture and at the same time and Egypt ended up losing most of her empire. It took the emodiment of Religous, Political and Cultural power to drive the Hyksos out at the beginning of the New Kingdom so much so that Ahhotep was worshipped for centuries. If we look at the highs of Egyptian civilisation it is the time where we hear of the true "God Kings", men who erected temples to themselves and in the case of Amenhotep III were literally declared incarnates of God. Ramses II built temples to himself and his family all over Egypt, combining the role of God and King as well as preserving ancient tradition. Amenhotep was worshipped as a God during his reign, also building aimmense temples to the Gods and himself (I mean, look at the extent of his mortuary temple!). The reign of the Ptolemies was incredibly rocky because independent culture had sprung up in the North, Gods were becoming amalgamated with others and the Pharaoh no longer embodied the religion and culture of Egypt. Cleopatra put the final nail in the coffin of Egypt by permenantly moving power over to Rome with ehr marriages and relationships to Romans. Wihtout their own politics, ruled by a foreign queen and with their culture deemed as "second-rate" Egypt died out to her Hellenistic invaders.
I wonder if their are any clues in Egypt about how to promote more unity in the world today? If only things hadn't become so complicated and the three foundations of civilisation could rest evenly._________________Thou dost appear beautiful on the horizon of heaven, oh living Amun, he who was the first to live.